2023/24 - The winter that wasn't

To say that this past winter has been weird is an understatement.

For those that love to fish, living in the ice belt it has been a bit frustrating.  In years past it has always been a tradition of mine to go ice fishing on Christmas day, but this year I wasn't able to get on the ice until early January, and this was our annual trip to Lake of the Woods called Amplitude.

Amplitude is an annual trip started by my brother 17 years ago and continues to go strong year after year.  In years past we were able to drive our cars/trucks out on the ice, but this year due to the unusually warm weather we were limited to using 4-wheelers.

Perhaps this has been a blessing in disguise as only the diehards seem to be venturing out onto the ice this year.  In my opinion, this has tremendously reduced the fishing pressure and with the handful of times I've been on the ice this season have had some pretty decent success.

Thankfully we had a couple weeks of bitter cold that seemed to lock up Twin Cities lakes with a foot of good quality ice.  Temps have swung the other way as of late and I feel our ice fishing days in the Twin Cities are numbered.  I do have one more ice fishing trip to the north planned, but for those that are venturing out locally in the Twin Cities area, be safe as conditions are rapidly changing every day.

Born to fish

As far back as I can remember I always had a fishing pole in my hand, thanks to my mom and dad.  Love you!  Summers were mostly spent at the family lake cabin, however there were also many trips to the incredible and captivating Lake of the Woods.  These traditions continue to this day.  Growing up in the land of 10,000 lakes was filled with many opportunities to wet a line.

The purpose of this blog is not only to share my story, but to share the knowledge and experiences I've gained over the past 30+ years.  For those that are just looking to get into the sport or perhaps if you are a more experienced angler there will be resources and information for everyone.  No matter your skill level I feel there is always an opportunity to learn something, this is the beauty of the sport.

Why do I continue to fish?  Simply put, the tug of a fish on the other end never gets old.  Not every day do the fish cooperate, which can be frustrating, however when things do go as planned it brings great satisfaction and fulfillment.  This is why they call it fishing and not catching, right?

X: @Curtmonster

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattcurtis5202

Let the journey begin...

As I look to begin this journey I remain focused on sharing the knowledge and experience I've gained over the past 30+ years of fishing and being outdoors in the great white north!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mattcurtis5202

X: @Curtmonster